However, based on the pictures of some of the items, it looked more like it was going to be a garage sale for your neighbor, Russ, who lives down the street rather than an estate sale of priceless mementos owned by one of the most beloved coaches in Meeechigan history. I mean, I'm sure Bo's old Christmas ornaments hold value for somebody, and who wouldn't want to say they put together their Ikea furniture using Bo's power tools, but we at the MZone were hoping for a little...more.

According to the company behind the almost-sale, since it was Bo's son's stuff, they weren't sure what sports items would be included. With that in mind, here's our list of things that, with a few turns of the fickle finger of football fate, could have been for sale:

* The shoe worn by Michigan kicker Mike "Super Toe" Lantry in November,
1973 after he kicked a 44-yard field goal with :24 seconds left to break a
10-10 tie and lead Michigan to victory over Ohio State and Woody Hayes. The Wolverines finished the regular season undefeated and went on to win the Rose Bowl and with it, Bo's first National Championship.

The original "replacement refs"

* The whistle of the ref who was over-ruled after initially signaling a phantom touchdown for USC's Reggie White during the 1979 Rose Bowl. Instead, the correct call - that White had fumbled before crossing the goal line and Michigan recovered - was made leading to Bo's second Rose Bowl victory.

* The can of Stickum spray Brad Cochran was using when he
picked off QB Chuck Long on Iowa's final drive in the waning moments of
second-ranked Michigan's 10-9 victory over the top ranked Hawkeyes in
Iowa City in 1985. The only blemish on the Wolverine record that year was a 3-3 tie at Illinois. Even still, after Bo's 4th win in Pasadena, the General captured his second National Championship.

* The autographed picture of Bo holding up the Little Brown Jug after
second-ranked Michigan held on to beat Minnesota and QB Ricky Foggie in
the second to last game of the 1986 regular season. After beating Ohio State in the regular season finale following Jim Harbaugh's victory guarantee, the Wolverines completed yet another undefeated regular season.

* The football that Michigan recovered after Miami's failed onside kick attempt at the end of the Wolverine's victory over the #1-ranked Hurricanes in 1988. Miami was trying to come back from a 30-14 deficit with seven minutes left in the 4th quarter but it was not to be as the Wolverines held on in The Big House.

* Bo's gameplan notes for the '89 Michigan-Notre Dame game in which he specifically told his special teams coaches not to kick to Irish speedster Rocket Ismail. The Wolverines won that rainy day in A2 and ran the table, capped off by a thrilling victory against USC in the Rose Bowl (due to a gutsy, successful fake punt late in the game). The undefeated season marked Bo's third and final National Title as he retired on top, passing the reins to his longtime assistant Gary Moeller.

10 comments:

p.s. hopefully at the estate sale is the football that tUOS fumbled during the 1977 Michigan-Suckeye game that caused Woody Hayes to charge at ABC cameraman Mike Freedman, who recorded his frustration; Hayes was ejected, put on probation by the Big Ten Conference, and fined $2,000.

Is it me or does the official in the last pic sort look like Jim Tressel? Nice post.

One of these days you need to have someone put together a KYF on BYE. As I recall BYE kicked PSU's backside.

As for your latest tweet, I disagree with Meyer on Michigan being last. I lived through the Cooper years. I want you to be second, or even first, in things before we beat you at the end of the regular season. Tressel's wins were nice, but most years it wasn't soul crushing for you because you had already lost multiple games. I feel the same way about the rest of the B1G and whoever we play non-conference. The only time I root for someone to lose is if we have lost and we need them to lose to get us to the top of the pile.

Dennis, I agree with you 100%. The reason we talk about Woody and Bo still is b/c The Game meant EVERYTHING. If one of our teams had consistently been 5-4 going into that last November weekend, we wouldn't still be talking about one of the best 10 yr spans in the history of cfb.

I want the time out from the '88 Miami game. Bo could have called time out before Huerta kicked the eventual game winner. Instead he let the clock run down & saved the TO (which Taylor didn't need- we had no chance w/ so little clock_y.

Also, I want the D playbook from the '94 Colorado game where we diagram how to defend the Hail Mary.

Yes, I was at both. And the '89 ND game (& the '88 ND game in South Bend)and App St.

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